CARS, DOGS, AND ROCK ‘N’ ROLL
The Man Behind The mister Blake Foundation

by Michelle Livingstone
(click images to enlarge)

mister Blake (the uncapitalized “mister” is his brand) enters the coffee shop with a smile, clutching a large, overflowing file, a mini portfolio of his musical and charitable history, and is eager to show me what he is all about. I note a quiet, compassionate person, and apart from his perfectly executed blue and white outfit, rather unassuming. Born Blake and taking the moniker ‘mister Blake' from very early on (“I don't like the name Blake, I would have liked the name Del”), this gentleman philanthropist is not what I expected. He seems shy and unaware of what he is and what he does for others.

THE EARLY YEARS

Blake was born in Coquitlam to a young mother from Saskatchewan, who herself was the baby of 11 children. He had a very difficult childhood, with little love and support, highlighting the adage ‘those who have the least, often give the most’. But it was all too much; he was in over his head, he had no family to care about him, and soon discovered that neither did his record management."

Blake's childhood gives a sense of a Harry Potter story. Having always dreamed of a bicycle, he was not granted one, but watched as the biological children were presented with theirs. When the birthed children were taken to Disneyland, young Blake was left behind to manage the store.

Happily, Blake also turned out to be a bit of a wizard, as he magically transformed his life into the one we see today, where he spends most of his time granting wishes, helping others and spreading happiness.

A hopeful yet inexperienced youngster, Blake screwed up his courage and travelled to a talent show in Steveston, where in front of an ocean of strangers, he performed Steve Lawrence's Pretty Blue Eyes. He won, and life would never be the same again.

Describing himself as “...wet behind the ears”, Blake was scooped up as a naive 14-year-old and had recording success in North America with the UK’s Dusty Springfield's hit, I Only Want To Be With You.

But it was all too much; he was in over his head. His adoptive family didn’t care, and he soon discovered that neither did his record management. Blake put his life in the hands of the music industry, became their property and was mentally, physically and sexually abused. A situation that would shape his whole life.

Many years later, at a BC Place auto show, Blake bumped into his previous abusers. Blake tells me:

“They said to me, “You sure blew that”. And I was so angry, so angry. I thought I was going to smash every car. So I said, ‘I've got to do something about this if I am that angry’. I put a little advertisement in the paper about management, and I slowly got back to it, thanks to Patricia [Dalquist]”.

He talks fondly about “little Patty Dalquist, who was six feet two inches”, and is largely responsible for getting him back into music and performing.

Blake calls himself “a survivor”, and he surely is. His bravery in getting away from a terrifyingly toxic situation, moving on, and making something good come out of it is a testament to this. His first album, which he released in the early 1990s, titled New Attitude shares a heartfelt message on the sleeve, telling his painful story in the hopes of passing on strength for others in abusive situations so they too might begin their own healing process.

**Young Blake with his hit single “I Only Want to be With You”..**

Blake never got counseling, as “..he couldn't afford it”, and to his great credit, he never turned to hard drugs or alcohol. He did, however, try a cigarette as a youngster with a neighbour in a barn. He was caught and made to eat it. Needless to say, he never wanted another.

CARS, DOGS AND ROCK ‘N’ ROLL

Having once juggled three jobs, Blake doesn't rise early in the mornings anymore. Now semi-retired, after being badly injured in a riot at one of the treatment centres he was working in and accepting a payout. He used the money to buy the three beautifully polished red cars that sit in lazy splendour under the roof of his garage. A 1976 Cadillac convertible, described as ‘the yacht’; a Mercedes with the original plastic covers still on, and finally, a crossover SUV, also known as “the dog's car”. He doesn't drive them anymore, sadly, as I was hoping he would disclose that he dons a different red outfit every time he rolls around town. I am suitably uplifted, however, when he talks about his life with Sheltie dogs and shares this lovely story.

“My friend, Chuck, who worked at Tom Lee Music, his parents had two Shelties, and they had three pups. So I said, ‘I 'll tell you what, I'd like to take [her] home on trial’, because I thought maybe tomorrow the party's over. Well, it was the best thing. I named her Mittens. She had four white claws and was the best investment I ever made.”

**One of the many awards the mister Blake foundation has received.**

Blake has adored nine Shelties in his life; he lost his beloved Everest last year, and is now loving what may be his last, a beautiful 13-year-old female, Risque. All former show dogs, they continued their performing duty by giving their love to patients in the palliative care unit at St.Paul's Hospital, Vancouver, where Blake is incredibly involved, spending time with the patients at their most vulnerable, and even helping to arrange funerals for those without family to care for them at the very end.

Although he would not like to be a pop star again, Blake is renowned for his gargantuan collection of music memorabilia. He boasts one of the largest private collections of the Beatles, which nestle alongside many various stars of yesteryear displayed within a warren of rooms. It is a musical and visual wonderland; each wall and shelves’ occupants proclaiming their own magnificence and rarity. It is a true testament to a love of music.

Happy turning down the spotlight as a singer, Blake met with the best of the best along life’s way, the likes of Al Gore, David Suzuki, Martha Reeves, Brenda Lee, Johnny Cash, and Roy Orbison to name but a few, with some leaving gifts of trees and plants which still adorn Blake's apartment. In fact, Rita MacNeil, the beloved singer from Nova Scotia, was a very good friend, and along with Patricia Dalquist was instrumental in getting him back on his musical feet.

**Rita's gold disc presented to mister Blake.**

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Blake’s life of philanthropy began one Christmas, many years ago, with a donation to The Province Empty Stocking Fund. Then in 2008, the misterBlake foundation was born and now donates to many charities, including Pregnancy Concerns, CKNW's Kids Fund, Hungry Kids International, Mercy Canada, Pads, BSPCA, Grace McCarthy C.H.I.L.D Foundation, and the Jasmine Project, Thailand. His most recent donation in Christmas 2025 was for $100,000 given to Joanna's house for a renovation intended for the United Gospel Mission. Also working with Ukrainian charities, he has opened his house to two people fleeing the war.

FINAL THOUGHTS

Blake has spent 50 years on and off living in the West End, loving the quiet, the trees and the beach. He says, “It's sure not the way it used to be. Where we're sitting right now, this used to be a parking lot. I kind of mind my own business. I’m a solitary man, but I know when anything is going on. I have lots to be thankful for.”

He continues, “I wrote most of my songs on Christmas Eve. I would see these countries; they weren't celebrating Christmas. A lot of them were hoping to God they had enough food on their table. Well, I find it's a little difficult sitting around my dining room table. ‘Oh, I'm having such a wonderful time. So I play. Last year, I was one of Santa Claus' elves at the West End Seniors’ Network party at Barclay Manor.”

I ask Blake where he sees life and the world in ten years. His answer is beautifully honest.

“I have a choice every morning when I get up. Either I want to live, or I want to die. There's no way in between. I don't like what I see in the world right now. I don't like what I see at home, such as the wars and the way people are. When I see the kids coming home from school at three o'clock, and I see four little toddlers, I think, what future is there for those children?”

As the clock ticks on, I wrap up this fascinating interview by asking what his one wish for the world would be. He sums this up succinctly with a line by one of his favourite performers, “All we are saying is, give peace a chance.”

Learn more about the mister Blake foundation here.